Advocacy Shines Light in the Darkness
“All advocacy is, at its core, an exercise in empathy.” – Samantha Power
The Missouri Foundation for Health defines advocacy as “any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others.” Caregivers are great at advocating for their loved ones, bringing light to their issues, concerns, challenges, and roadblocks.
But self-advocacy is also important, and it can be a challenge for caregivers. Loosely defined, self-advocacy is speaking up for yourself, knowing yourself, making your needs known, and knowing how to get your needs met. It’s saying, “Hey, I matter too!”
Caregivers tend to put themselves last in many things, including their advocacy efforts. I experienced this when I cared for my brother. I felt as if I couldn’t tell MY story. It was his story that was important. Yet, in the meantime, I suffered ... in the dark ... in the shadows of mental illness ... as my brother faced his journey with anxiety, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. As his support network, my sisters and I often found ourselves confused and alone.
What we needed was someone who understood what we were going through and could offer insights without judgment. Someone who could advocate for us and help us advocate for ourselves. This realization became my “why” for creating Courage to Caregivers’ peer support program – to offer unconditional love, acceptance, appreciation, compassion, listening, and empathy.
Whether it’s a roar or a whisper, advocacy is empathy at its very best. Here are five tools to help you advocate for the causes you care about … including yourself:
Share your story. Be yourself. Use your voice. Your story is YOUR story, and it can be a very powerful tool. When you share your story, you can help others understand your cause.
Understand the policies that affect the causes you’re passionate about.
Find your allies who support or who make decisions that affect the causes you’re committed to. Write a letter. Send an email. Make a call. Share your story. Let your allies know why your concerns matter.
Magnify your voice. There are many outlets you can use to raise your concerns, including social media, local newspapers, and TV or radio stations.
Get involved in organizations that support the cause you care about. Let them help you spread the word.
If it’s been a while since you’ve considered your own needs as a caregiver, here are 26 Questions To Help You Know Yourself Better by Dr. Sharon Martin, to get you started. Try to find just a micro-moment today to start advocating for YOUR needs.